Family missing Corrie McKeague back fundraising effort to pay for detective work

THE family of a missing RAF gunner have backed fundraising efforts to pay for detective work they claim “incompetent” police are not up to doing.

The Just Giving page for Corrie McKeague is raising £20,000 to pay a private detective and fund a data analyst.

The family of Corrie, 23, from Dunfermline, Fife, claim the cash will allow campaigners to “undertake the work the police are not capable or resourcing”.

Corrie, a member of the RAF Regiment, went missing more than ten weeks ago after a night out with friends in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

The family have backed the fundraising efforts

Suffolk Police have been unable to trace Corrie after he was spotted on CCTV walking into a dead-end, loading bay area in the town at 3.25am on September 24.

The Just Giving page – We’re raising £20,000 to help find RAF serviceman Corrie McKeague – was set up by family friend Cheryl Hickman on Tuesday night.

This morning it had already raised over £13,000 from almost 1,200 donors, most of whom gave £5 or £10.

The page read: “The police investigation team, through a combination of lack of resources, intransigence and incompetence have failed to capture and process vital evidence and still lack the basic resources to efficiently process a tiny number of phone calls per week.

“After so many weeks of managing this search, Corrie’s mum, Nicola and his brothers Makeyan and Darroch are now desperately seeking your assistance to allow them to continue the search.

“With your support we would like to use all funds to fund the appointment of a Private Investigator.

“Fund a data analyst to undertake the work the Police are not capable or resourcing. Collect, collate and analyse all of the information gathered so far that will continue to be collected.”

The money will also be used to pay for the overhead cost of phone numbers and computers, as well as the additional costs of being away from home for Corrie’s family.

The page adds: “The family are committed to keeping these costs low. We desperately need your help to be able to bring Corrie home.”

Nicola, herself a serving officer with Police Scotland, later shared the crowdfunding page on her Facebook page and wrote a message confirming the page was endorsed by herself and her sons.

Thousands of supporters have joined the campaign and left messages of support for the family.

Jackie Adams wrote: “It seems really sad, that a serving police officer has to be so let down, by the organisation she works for. I feel that there are many missing people, who are lost to the lack of resources in the system.”